Wake Up Call
by Bay Alexison
Summary: Ed and Winry's baby woke them up once again.


**Author's Note: **Another story I entered in livejournal's FMA Fic Contest community. This time the prompt was "Midnight." Warning for spoilers for the ending of manga/Brotherhood anime and vague mentions of breastfeeding, haha.

**Wake Up Call**

For the past four months Edward and Winry's son had been their wake up call, and this night wasn't any different.

The baby's shrill cry immediately jolted the young couple out of their slumber. The former alchemist sat up and blinked while his wife rubbed her eyes irritably.

"Is Henry hungry again? Already?" Winry mumbled sleepily.

"Maybe." Edward lifted his feet off the bed and planted them on the ground, but he didn't get up yet. He looked at Winry from over his shoulder. "If you want, I can get him for you."

The automail mechanic's lips curved into a smile. "Yes, please."

After hoisting himself out of the bed, Edward stretched his arms and yawned before walking out of the bedroom. In the hallway, he paused to take a quick glance at the grandfather clock that was between the master bedroom and the baby's room. Two minutes past midnight. Edward chuckled wearily.

_He always seems to cry at midnight._

He shuffled into his son's room and he turned on the light. Just a few days ago, Winry had stuck yellow wallpaper on the walls as she thought it made the room look more "baby-friendly". There were some toys scattered all over the floor, so Edward walked slowly to avoid stepping on any of them. He made it to the baby's crib and saw that Henry was wailing and rolling. The father made no hesitation scooping the baby up and cradling him in his arms, taking the moment to gaze at his son and beam. Besides his wife, Henry was the most precious being he'd ever seen. Almost forgetting he had to let Winry feed him—the cries were starting to get on his nerves- Edward made haste to the bedroom.

By the time he and his son made it to the bedroom, Winry was already sitting up with a small blanket in hand. He walked slowly to the bed and handed Henry to her.

Edward turned around and stared at the window while his wife fed the baby. Hearing his son sucking greedily for…well, the young man knew that breastfeeding would be beneficial for Henry, but he still felt squeamish thinking about it. That didn't stop Winry from making fun of him, though.

As soon as Winry was finished with the feeding, Edward spun around to see her cradling their baby, who was now sound asleep. She rocked him back and forth and cooed. Edward smiled.

He never thought he would see the day when he had a family of his own. It felt like not too long ago it had been the Promised Day, and he'd been unsure what would happen to the world when all was said and done. But he was here now, basking in this lovely moment.

"Something the matter?" Winry asked, eyes puzzling over her husband's dazed look.

"Huh?" he blurted out. He regained his composure quickly by laughing and replied, "Sorry, but seeing you holding our baby like that made me happy that we have him."

Winry giggled. "I knew you would say something like that."

"He's better than any transmutation or automail part we've ever made," Edward said, sitting on the bed and scooting closer to his wife and son. "Ours and ours only."

His left hand touched Winry's cheek and he pressed his lips onto hers for a quick kiss. The young mother rested her head on her husband's chest. Edward stroked his son's hair—_wow, he has a lot already_— and gazed at him lovingly. As if out of the blue, though, he frowned.

He was more than happy being a father, but it still scared him. He and Winry had brought a child into the world, and they were responsible for his well-being. Why had all these thoughts of Henry getting hurt or not being loved enough suddenly come?

"To tell you the truth, I'm still nervous about being a father. When you told me you were having Henry, I decided to stop traveling so that I could be there for you and him. I don't want to be like Hohenheim."

Winry blinked. "So what's the problem?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted, sighing. "Maybe I'm afraid he'll judge me once he finds out about my past. Or perhaps he'll think I don't care for him enough because you know I'm bad with talking about my… _feelings_." He ended his rambling by mumbling under his breath, "Like right now."

"Ed, you took great care of Al after your mother died," Winry said and smiled gently. She took his hand and their fingers entwined. "I'm sure you'll be a fantastic father."

Edward smiled too. Yes; he had taken care of Al, and they had been through a lot of tough times together. Sure, watching over his son would be different from his brother, but being with Al had taught him how to give the love and support someone needed. And now, he would do the same for his son.

"Thanks. That means a lot to me."

"No problem." It was Winry's turn to kiss her husband. "I know being a parent won't be easy, but your son will appreciate all the things you'll have done for him when he's older. No doubt about it."

Edward's grin grew larger and he wrapped his arms around Winry and their baby. Relaxed now, he enjoyed this moment with his family. He might make a mistake or two in the years to come, but he would learn from them and his wife would help him along the way. Together, their son would be raised to be a good man, and that was all Edward wanted for him.


End file.
